
AGK BEAVER 




THE TRAPPER 



) 

BLACK BEAVER 

THE TRAPPER 



The Only Book Ever 
Written by a Trapper 



JX^U^^r-L^ ^ ^, <^ 



TWENTY-TWO YEARS WITH 
BLACK BEAVER 



LEWIS AND CLARK 
A HUNDRED YEARS LATER 



F/?OM THE AMAZON 
TO THE MACKENZIE RIVERS 



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.V 



(OPYRICHTED BY GEO. EdWARD LEWIS. 

Year 1911. 



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©CI.A30O248 




BLACK BEAVER AS ARCTIC JIM AT CAMP NEAR 
MT. MpKINLEY 



THE AUTHOR'S EXCUSE. 

I am both sorry and glad to inform my readers — that I 
can neither read nor write. 

It would seem absurd for a blind man to study the stars, 
Or for a deaf man to study music ; so it might seem to you 
absurd for a man who cannot write to write a book. But 
I have an excuse for writing these events. The President 
of Mexico ; and the Governor of Alaska together with 
several hundreds between, equally as popular have urged 
me to write my history. I am sorry I cannot write this 
with my own fingers but I have a substitute in my old 
back-woods chum — The Kidd. Who by the way — neither 
writes very flourishing, because he like myself has done the 
most of his writing with his six-shooter ; because you know 
this a more expressive way of talking and a more impressive 
way of writing. I have a brother who is a real educated gen- 
tleman, he tried to dissuade me from publishing my history 
because I think he is afraid he will be outshone by literary 
merit. I have no ambition to outshine him, nor William 
Shakespere nor any other erudite. I have a very limited vo- 
cabulary, and since swearing and smoking are not allowed in 
print, I shall have to loose the biggest half of that. I shall 
omit foreign language, I could assault you with Mex — or Si- 
wash but I fear you could not survive the battery. So I shall 
confine myself to simple speech, such as I have used in all 
lands. From Gotch my bronco to Arctic my dog. It has 
served me since I was six summers old It served me amid 
the bells of Peru and then afar amid the Agate Eyed squaws 
of The Kuskokwim; and this ought to be a good excuse. — 
Yours truly J. C. LEWIS. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

« 

I have undertaken the arduous task of rewriting that 
which was never written. My charge was ''fix it up but 
do not change it." These words were hurled at me one 
morning at four o'clock in the month of April, as my 
big brother boarded the Overland Limited bound for the 
Iditarod Alaska. He had in that far-away region five- 
hundred skins in cache which he had taken from the backs 
of the costiliest animals that ran in northland world. In 
various parts of Alaska Black Beaver had treasures which 
he was now intent upon gathering to fit up an outfit to be 
known as "The Arctic Alaskan Educational Exhibition" 
Perhaps no other man in this country can tell such amusing 
and beneficial stories about travels, fatigue and furs As the 
Author of this book. This was the creative force which 
suggested the organization of this party. Black Beaver has 
traveled as no other man ever traveled in Alaska, four times 
in as many years he crossed the entire country by dog- 
team in a diagonal way from Dawson to Point Barrow and 
from Gnome to The mouth of the Mackinzie river. Being 
able to speak several Indian dialects, he was able converse 
with Siwash, Mucklock, Malimouth and other types getting 
the most valuable kind of information. You have never 
read a book written by a trapper. Usually some smooth 
gent makes up a romance and puts them in other mouths — 
but this is not true of this book. It is a true experience of 
the life and labors of the Author. Respectfully submitted 
Sept 191 1. GEO. EDWARD LEWIS. 



BLACK BEAVER THE TRAPPER. 

At the age of four years I began to pick up arms against 
small birds and animals. At the age of five I began to trap 
around my father's corn-shocks. When I reached my sixth 
year my father bought me a dog and he was my constant 
companion for many years. At the age of five years I 
began to make Bows and arrows, and cross guns, likewise 
sling shots. My first experience was with by bros, George 
and Lee in killing a woodchuck. And from this time my 
adventures began to multiply. All kinds of small animals 
fell before my accurate aim. 

My adventursome father had crossed the great plains as 
early as 1846. He was thrilled to the core with the bold 
and desperate experiences of the wild western world. On 
his way he met and formed the acquaintance Of several of 
the noted trappers and explorers, as well as the acquaintance 
of the most daring and dangerous savages that ever rode the 
arena of the Great American Desert. 

My chief joy from in fancy was to have my father tell me 
his dangerous travels and exploits in the early west. I was 
continually begging my older brother to read about Kit 
Carson Daniel Boone and other pioneers. At the age of 
seven years I took a notion that I wanted a gun. Bows and 
arrows, cross-bows sling-shots knives and hatchets were too 
tame for me. I sought an occasion when my father was 
away, to get from my mother the needed information, how 
to load and discharge a gun. One day when all were away 
I stole my fathers gun. It was a double barreled muzzle 
loader, one barrel shot and the other rifle. I had quite an 



experience — I saw a partridge just as I entered the woods 
budding in the top of an old birch tree. I leveled the gun 
up against an old ash tree and fired I had never before fired 
a gun, I held it rather loosely aginst my shoulder and the 
recoil lamed my arm and bloodeyed my pug noose. But 
this was soon forgotten when I saw I had plugged my meat. 
In haste I began to load to prepare for another bird — I 
seized The patch put mr ball on the patch took mr ramrod 
and rammed home the ball alas ! just as I was pounding her 
home I remembered I had forgotten something quite neces- 
sary in loading a gun — it was the powder. I was in a ter- 
rorable fix then — I first thought I would hasten home put 
up the gun and let father get out of the fix the best he could. 
But after taking a second thought I concluded that I would 
not be a whit behind the Father of his country — but while 
I had stolen I could not tell a lie — so I repeated the reckless 
boy's adage — Scolding don't hurt you whipping don't last 
long killing they dare not" — After considering the whole 
predicament — I concluded that I rather have a flogging than 
deny my pluck and luck by killing my game. So I related 
to father my deed ; he simply laughed and took the gun in 
the back yard pricked some fine powder in the tube — put on 
a cap and shot the ball out slick and easy. The winter of 
my sixth year I had planed on trapping small fur bearing 
game — but my parents had planned on me going to school. 
So they bought me some books and the first of October I 
was drilled oflP to school. I soon got into trouble at school 
and the third day traded off my books for an old gun. the 
next day I started for school as usual, but after I was over 
the hill I turned from the path of duty and education for 
the adventurous path of hunting and trapping. I would go 
to the place I had hidden my gun the night before and go 
into the woods and spend the day returning as school let out. 
I worked this for about three weeks without being discov- 
ered. I had an older brother who suspected me and finally 
he found me in the woods, took my gun from me and broke 



it around a tree — he did this because the gun was unsafe it 
was all tied up with wire and strings to bind the barrel to 
the stock — my first gun was a bloomer. 

The following fall I killed my first coon. My brother Lee 
who is two years older than myself and I were shooting at 
a mark in the wood-shed one rainy fall day, and lo and 
behold to our surprise a coon came walking in on us — 
instantly we flew at the fellow, I, with an ax he with a club 
— the coon lasted about two seconds — the yells and disturb- 
ance brought my father and brother to the scene, I was 
declaring that I had killed it and my Brother Lee was 
making the same statements both of us were talking at the 
limit of lung power — when my brother who was older dis- 
covered that there was a ribbon around the coons neck and 
a gold ring attached showing us this he said "this is a pet 
coon." At once we reversed our arguments each declaring 
that we did not kill the coon. 

The beginning of my eight year I coaxed father to 
allow me to spend the winter trapping with a man named 
Walker on the head waters of the Manistee river, finally 
he consented and I was the happiest boy on earth. Hastily 
I made my toilet for the winter and set out on snow shoes 
the middle of November. After several days of brisk and 
difficult walking we reached Wild goose creek. Here 
we made a camp and began to set traps. I had no gun 
for it was intended that I was to cook and skin game. 
This proved to be my first experience with larger game. 
Five days after we struck camp we caught a black bear 
in a deadfall. It was here at wild goose creek that I first 
began running trap lines under an old rocky mountain trap- 
per. And here where I also learned to skin, bait traps, 
make dead falls and cut and sew up my own clothes, make 
snow shoes and paddle canoes, build camps and learn the 
various tricks of Indians and trappers, also how to doctor 
myself when sick and to avoid the dangers of the wilder- 
ness. All too soon the mid-winter came and there being 



no high line game to trap The trapper made up his mind 
to move homeward. On the sixteenth day of January 
we began our march for a town called South Boardman. 
We had to pack about thirty pounds apiece it was thirty 
five miles to our destination. The first night we camped 
in the snow the next evening a half hour after dark we 
reached town ; here we took a train for home and reached 
it about mid-night. My father divided the fur taking my 
share for his pay. The balance of the winter I hunted 
and trapped near home — and when spring came I hunted 
ginseng and later picked huckle berries meanwhile I learned 
to speak the Chippewa language. 

I sold my gingseng and berries for more money than 
my father knew of and bought a good gun and two re- 
volvers together with considerable amunition. This year 
I was in the Company of my Brother Lee and to-gether 
w^e practiced with gims and revolvers till we thought we 
were the best shots in the Co. Our rapid firing often 
aroused the settlers, and they began to talk about us say- 
ing "we were growing up to be outlaws." This greatly 
pleased us. Just befor I was nine years old my folks got 
it into their heads to send me to school agin, thinking I 
might be Henry Clay or Govener Mud or some other lar- 
kic — as usual I raked up a row and the teacher had us ex- 
pelled for carrying six shooters in our dinner pails. 

When w^e came home that day my father and mother 
held a long council over us and finally called us in and 
father said — *T have tried to make something out of you 
but you will never be anything but a blockheads — and I 
might as well make good indians out of you as poor 
ones." so he allowed us to use our guns smoke and chew 
rag-weed to our hearts content. My next experience was 
with two of the best trappers that ever bent steel in Michi- 
gan. Solitary Parson and Frank Johnson. We were out 
three months and made good hauls, they gave me one 
fourth of the fur, which was a neat sum. I then spent 



several weeks at target practice, my daily stunt was split- 
ting bullets on the bit of an ax forty feet away. I soon 
became the crack rifle shot in the country. One evening 
I tied two hills of corn together while father was milk- 
ing and when father started for the house his toe taught 
in the loup up in the air went the milk down on the 
ground came Father with about twelve quarts of milk 
running down his back. 

This was enough for father he had ben out of 
patience with me many times : but now this act provoked 
him so he ordered me away from home. I had few clothes 
and no satched I was the baby of the family, yet not A 
very delicate sample of a baby. I had the fire burning 
for adventure in my young bosom, I bade my mother good 
bye as I went to bed, she never knew how long it would 
be till she kissed to sleep those black marbles, as she used 
to call my eyes; I arose at about one oclock in the morn- 
ing and roused up my brother picked up our kit and set 
out for the Twin bridges of the Boardman fifteen miles 
away. 

I was still in my ninth year and my brother was eleven, 
we camped up in the swamp nearly all summer then in 
the fall hunted and trapped on the Cedar river. When 
spring time came in we sold our furs for $200,00 and took 
the Train for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

We stopped at the mining districts where there were 
scores of Cornish Miners. There was a widow there with 
whom my brother lived and worked all the time for about 
two years. He was quite a musician this widow bought 
him a high grade Stewart Banjo and then she fell in love 
first with his playing and then with his banjo and lastly 
of all with him. Love stole my partner. I have had many 
but none like Lone Lee The Mountain Musician. After 
loosing my Pal I began to learn to face the wilderness alone. 
Nero my Dog, my associate from infancy was killed by 
a wolf and I was left alone. 



When whiteman seemed to fail fate overcame me in the 
form of an indian. This indian was the famous Shop- 
negon. We trapped together on the Indian river follow- 
ing down into lower michigan we also trapped the dead 
stream, Ausable, Tobacco and into the Houghton lake 
country here Shopnegon christened me as Black Beaver 
for I had actually trapped one. this was the only Black 
Beaver Shopnegon had ever seen and the only one I ever 
saw and I have seen some. 

This- was the winter of my tenth year I was big healthy 
and strong. I had never been sick except having the 
Pneumonia and occasionally a bad cold. Early in the 
spring we broke camp bid each other goodbye I loaded 
my pack and furs weighing about forty pounds and start- 
ed for Fife Lake. I had no intention of seeing my folks 
but in Fife Lake was another attraction which I will come 
to later. I had to get home about fifty miles to cover, 
the way was beset with tangled forests, swollen streams, 
melting snows not a blaze to mark the way. I had lived 
on mushrat for forty days and the first day out I shot a 
doe, and added about ten pounds to my load, this meat 
was quite an improvement on rat. the evening of the third 
day I camped on Hopkins creek under an old hemlock 
tree. My dogs kept me awake nearly all night with their 
barks and growls, once I was awakened by a twig fall- 
ing in my face, in the morning I was at once attracted 
by a sliding noise which I soon discovered to be a Lynx 
bracing to leap, I slung my gun to my shoulder and the 
lynx was past danger instantly, I afterward learned this 
Lynx had killed a boy in the neighborhood by the name 
of Harrison. 

Adding another pelt to my pack I reached Fife Lake 
just before Sundown and waited for dark before entering 
town. After dark I went straight to the home of My old 
friend who was not so aged as L W. O. Clark, his mother 
had died meanwhile the only thing which had restrained him 



from joining me the year before. I did not wish to show up 
in Northtown so Willie sold my fur for me and we equiped 
ourselves for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In august 
of that same year after our money was all gone but eleven 
cents : and I had not been seen by anybody who knew me 
Clark and I walked over to Kingsley ten miles away car- 
rying our only possessions in the world, we had decided 
to go westward where we might hunt trap and enjoy our- 
selves unmolested, the evening found us w^aiting for a 
freight train which we were to take; hoping to hobo our 
way to Denver Colorado. 



Westward Bound 

It is a long way from Kingsley Michigan to Denver Colo- 
rado. But we covered the ground in three weeks. We 
took slideing door palace cars all the way, and slept nights 
covered with an evening news, begged handouts at back 
doors ; and ate our meals with the widow green. I was 
coming eleven Clark was just past seven, two old and 
experienced duffers to go west for freedom. 

Before leaving Michigan I formed the acquaintance of 
Waterloo chief of the Potowatimies. He had taught me 
many things which w^ere to be of great service in the west. 
When we arrived in Denver we were not hailed as some 
great individuals are but we overlooked that — (since then 
We have been well used in Denver") We secured a lunch 
took our truck and struck northward. The following day 
we pulled up to a farmers house by the name of Straub. 
He had two bears he had caught, and hired us to tame 
them. I guess he thought our appearance would tame a 
Rhinoceros. I assumed the responsibility — and gave him 
the threadbare recipe "No cure no pay" Together we did 
the job in two weeks and for our service Mr. Straub gave 
us some new clothes, our board and $25,00 From here 
we steered our way to North Platte Nebraska. I hired out 
to John McCoullough. to herd cattle, and sent my son 
Willie as I called him and have ever since — to school in 
North Platte. 

The Cow-boys of that region usually had great sport 
with tenderfeet ; but they were great mind readers and 
passed me off as experienced, owing to my age and ac- 

8 



curate shooting. That year I learned to ride a horse, in 
fact paid more attention to that then I did to herding cat- 
tle ; but I took my pay without any remorse of conscience. 

The following year The Kid and I planned to go on a 
trapping expedition to the Rocky mountains. So as luck 
would have it we accidentally fell in with two hale fellows, 
inured to hardships, careless as the law allowed, and prime 
always for sport and adventure. Both of them could shoot 
well and ride like Mazzeppas. They also understood the 
plains and mountains but were tyros at trapping. 

We purchased four wild horses and on the first day of 
October started for Cola with covered wagons. This was 
my first experience over the plains in a real prairie schooner. 
We followed the south Platte to Sterling And from there we 
struck west and went through the Pawnee pass. Then we 
Took the old gun-barrel road back to Colorado. We camped 
one evening in Rattlesnake gulch; about midnight I heard 
a buzz I arose rather suddenly layed back the cover and 
saw within six inches of my son's face a large old dia- 
mond back rattler. It was close and short work to dis- 
patch him but I succeeded, the report of my gun brought 
all hands to their feet they examined the headless reptile, 
and were soon again lost in slumber, after while we ar- 
rived safely at Fort Collins bought a supply of food and 
other necessaries and took the trail for the head waters 
of La-Cash-a-po-da. We reached Pan-handle creek about 
twenty-five miles from Log-Cabin Post Office. 

In due time we pitched camp and set our traps. One 
line of traps extended to Larmie river ; And the other to 
the forks of the Cache LaPuche. We set for gray wolves, 
mountain lion, grizzley bear, mink, otter and foxes. We 
had good luck and made a large catch of fur and drew some 
large bounties. The following summer we sold off our 
whole kit to some trappers who went to Jackson hole, and 
we took our little stake of $2,122,00 and spent our sum- 
mer in Chicago, Denver and St. Louis. 



The next winter Clark and I : for we were alone again> 
went to New Windsor and trapped Rat on Storms Lake. 
We also caught a lot of skunk and coyotes, with fair suc- 
cess we continued til spring and took all our fur nearly 
$3,000,00 worth and sold to to different houses in the East. 
Then we bought good clothes, I managed to visit parks 
and ride shoot the shoots Conversed with Indians and en- 
quired of strangers concerning good trapping grounds 
through the summer — while Clark studied so he could do 
our writing. That winter we trapped in Pine Bluffs 
Wyoming. For Coyotes, Rat and skunk, But we grew 
tired toward spring anci moved To Scotts Bluff Nebraska, 
where we finished the winter and sold out in the spring I 
lounged around and got pointers and the Kid attended 
school as w^ did the year previous. 



10 



Back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 

The old routine of trapping even among the great rocky 
mountains grew stale, so I decided that I would go back to 
upper Michigan locate Long Knife, and Shopnegon and 
trap on the Stergeon River. So Clark and I set out from 
North Platte in September and arrived in Gladstone after 
four days traveling. It so occurred that Chief Long Knife 
was in town and that same day we counciled on the win- 
ter work and decided to go together as Shopnegon was too 
old. We made a great catch of mink, marten, otter and 
lynx. The kid spent his winter with us enjoying every day 
and night, he skined cooked and made snow shoes, load- 
ed shells and did many other odd jobs. We sold our fur 
in the spring and was about to leave town for Oshkosh 
Wisconsin. When Long Knife came to me and told me a 
Dr. Harris had a son who was lost in the woods. And 
wanted me to assist in locating the boy. I went to the 
Drs, hoMie and applied for the job— the Dr. was worried 
very badly but said that "i was only a kid and would get 
lost to if I ventured out sight of town" I reassured him 
that I was away up in my teens and had tramped the woods 
for eleven years and still could keep track of myself. So 
with his consent I took a lunch and got what information 
I could and struck out alone. I followed the river bluffs 
up to where he had been picking wintergreen berries and 
then I could not tell anything about it because so many 
folks were looking for him. after several hours I circled 
around and got out of reach of all spectators then I made 
a bee line for upstream,— (as that is the way all lost hunt- 

II 



ers and tciiderfeet go) after I had traveled about two miles 
I found a raveling on a briar and then I was sure I had 
a trail. This discovery gave me courage and I took up 
the labor with all the instinct of my nature. I followed 
his trail till pitch dark and camped under a maple 
tree till the gray dawn announced day — then I resumed 
my search ; after going about four or five miles I found his 
hat — which had been discribed to me. this proved two 
things that I had the right trail and that he had lost his 
mind, or was what we call "Woods Mad" That after noon 
at about five oclock I found where he had picked berries 
and an hour later I came upon him sitting on a log, He 
started to run but I was too quick on foot for him I soon 
caught him and after while I reasoned with him and he 
consented to return home with me. I had to fight all the 
way back he declared I was taking him the wrong direc- 
tion to reach home. When I came to town every body was 
surprised and delighted. His father gave me fifty dollars 
and the citizens bought me a handsome Colts revolver, they 
made a real party for me that night and Long Knife was 
invited and Clark sat and looked on. 

After we spent the summer we went back to Trout Lake 
after scouting around a few days I heard that a very ex- 
cellent Mink Trapper was in town. I soon located him and 
we chummed up and planned to go to Red Lake Minnesota. 
This trapper was no other than the far famed Joe White- 
cup. On the last day of October we reached our destina- 
tion; bought a load of chuck hired two Indians to take us 
to the Lake London. There we built one headquarter 
camp, and three ofif-sets. The third off-set reaching to 
Indian creek. We found plenty of wolves, bear, lynx, sable 
mink, otter and beaver. Here Whitecup taught me more 
than I had ever dreamed about catching mink. I found 
out that he used a compound and that he got it by mail ; 
but I could not hire him to tell me what it was nor where 
he got it I found out later; but if I had have known it 

12 



sooner I would have saved me from much embarrassment and 
^reat losses of money — Be patient It cost me much to get 
it but I am going to tell you before I finish this book just 
how to get it. And how to get it very reasonable. One 
night v/hile I was staying in the Indian creek ofif-set I was 
surrounded with grey wolves, they came up and even 
sniffed at the camp door. I shot five that night by chance 
shots, and had a lively shooting match most of the time. 
About mid-winter we broke camp it grew cold and heavy 
snows covered the whole country; so we went down to 
Duluth and sold our furs. 

Here I parted company with Whitecup after getting him 
roaring full hoping he would squeal what bait he used — 
but he was tight as a tick and mum as a toad. 

With my adopted son — so I figured; we bought tickets 
for Deadwood South Dakota. Here we met as we had 
arranged beforehand our two old Partners Terrel and Ed 
Scott. After a few days of rest and plan laying we deter- 
mined to go back to Fort Collins again and trap where we did 
several winters before. We found even more game than 
when we first had trapped this country. 

We got nicely settled and things looked favorable for 
a charming catch we were happy and had always been 
lucky. But I had often been told by old Woodsman and 
Plainsmen and Pioneers that no man ever run long with- 
out getting into a mixup. One morning I swung into the 
saddle I never felt better I was full grown nearly seven- 
teen and weighed 203. pounds. Without an ounce of super- 
flous flesh on my whole frame with the possible exception 
of a pound or two of hair. 

I steered my bronco up the hill and started over the trap 
line. I had not gone far when I heard the jingleing of 
a trap chain ; and the growl of a bear. I hastily dismount- 
ed, drew my rifle and advanced in the direction of the noise. 
Emerging from a clump of brush I stood face to face with- 
in forty five feet of a good old grizzley which weighed 

13 



1,400, pounds. He dropped upon his haunches and looked 
straight at me. I pulled my gun drew a careful aim at 
the only place to shoot a Grizzley between the eye and 
ear; fired, he fell and quivered, I thought him dead as 
a mummy and I set down my gun and went up took the 
clamps and removed the trap and just then old bruin 
rooled over and quick as a wink hit me a spat in the face 
that knocked me two or three summersaults broke in my 
left cheek and knocked out four teeth and cut my tongue 
half off. I struck the ground like a flying squirrel feet 
first: and after a moment of time to get my bearings I 
faced the music ; the old dog arose and made for me like a 
mad bull. I quickly pulled my old sixshooter and began 
to pump lead into him at the rate of about an ounce a sec- 
ond. Bruin seemed to take his pills with comparative ease, 
when my shells was exhausted he was still coming — What 
remained for me to do — I drew my hunting knife and 
climbed him like a monkey on a cheese. This was fool- 
ish and dangerous for I got a bite while bruin nearly got 
a belly full, I cut him deeply in the lungs but he nearly 
with one sweep of his old paw tore out my whole inwards. 
he cut me deep from three inches below the chin clean 
down to the abdomen. He wore his nails uncomfortably 
long and had a great spread to his claws. I then knew 
something must be doing or I would be done for. I made 
a desperate effort to secure my gun which was loaded, 
bruin seemed to tumble what I was up to and pressed hard, 
however with but one blow in the left side and another 
on my hip to his credit. I caught the big gun it was a 49-90 — 
^nd struck thirty two hundred pounds, I swung it around 
within three feet of the star in his breast pulled the trig- 
ger — and the steel capped ball bored a hole through the 
old hog big as an alarm clock. The fight was over, I feel 
with bruin I wakened five days later in a lath and plaster- 
ed room with my son and both partners working over me. 
I was much surprised when they told me I had enjoyed 

14 



the tussle five days before. I could not talk my tongue 
was fastened up so it might heal, I was all bandages and 
plaster paris I layed here seven weeks, then the boys 
carried me back to camp where I gave orders and gradu- 
ally recuperated. I never recovered from the blow on my 
hip it will bother me till the end. However there is no 
great loss without some small gain — this lame spot always 
serves me as a borometer. 

I also received another benefit I had some silver deposited 
in my face to straight up my sunken cheek, hence am never 
busted. I have been in several bad rows with both four- 
footed beasts and two footed beasts, but this was at least 
as lively a scrap as I ever got into, and all because I was 
careless. We lifted camp early in March sold our fur 
and the whole of us went down to 'Frisco to see the sights. 
Here we studied the history of China in the faces of the 
moon-eyed heathens, enjoyed the curious haunts of human- 
ity the entire summer. 

That fall I hired Old Ed Scott, Bert Terrell, Jack Troy 
and ferd Gotch. Myself and the Kid made up and we 
calculated quite a decent gang. I think we were by far the 
largest and best gang in the west. 

I had four hired men, Eleven head of horses, two 
wagons, four tents, Six riding saddles, four pack sad- 
dles, twenty four guns and revolvers, six hundred steel 
traps and cooking utensels enough for a dozen men. My 
expenses were a thousand dollars a month — Our chief game 
was rat, mink, otter, coyotes, and grey wolves, we marched 
up North Platte to Raw-hide creek — and set traps for fur 
— We moved once a week and averaged to take about one 
hundred and sixty pelts a day. 

When we reached the Raw-hide about fifteen miles from 
North Platte river in Lormey Co. I caught a monstrous 
grey wolf in a trap. I knew the virtue of the trap it was 
a New-House noumber four. I was armed with a 49-90 
Winchester but refrained from shooting him because the 

15 



ball tore too big a hole in the hide. I attempted to knock 
him in the head with my hatchet, I saw I had a good high 
holt on him so I stepped up closer to him — when the darn 
skunk made a leap at my windsucker; the trap chain broke 
and he lit on my left arm and got busy eating meat. My 
gun was johnie on the spot, for several days I carried 
my arm in a buckskin sack meanwhile I concluded I would 
shoot game not trying other experiences. 

After a few days we reached Hat creek, where we 
w^ere told that a Sheep herder had been driven into camp 
by a silver tipped Grizzley. The ranchmen wanted us to 
camp till we killed the old boss. So I detailed Ed Scott 
and a new man I had recently hired by the name of Charley 
Whippel to go with me — and I left the rest to run trap 
lines and watch things. We rode out toward the Cheyenne 
river. Just as v/e reached Cow creek and crossed over and 
was about twenty rods up the slope we heard a bear ; we 
stopped and suddenly old silver as free as Bryans Silver 
issue ; descending the hill in our direction. We all opened 
fire at once and spoiled his fun to quick to mention. We 
secured his skin head and all including his tailbone and 
paws the ranchmen sent it to Denver to a Texiderment 
and he sold it to the Chicago Public Musium. We broke 
camp the following day and started for Beaver creek here 
we made three settings, then we broke again and moved 
to the head of the Belle Fourche river, trapping coyote 
and wolf, from there to powder river, and then on to 
tongue river. We broke camp that spring at Dayton, Wyo- 
ming ; and for novelty hired out to herd cattle for the U. X. 
Cattle Co. We rode here on the general roundup, quit 
our job and set out for the Big horn basin. Crossing the 
main range of the Big horn mountains we went up Canon 
Creek looking for trapping for another season. We fol- 
lowed down the creek till we reached Big horn river; then 
we swung around and followed up the Bighorn to the 
end. 

i6 



We had quite a serious time getting our pack horses 
over the Owl-creek mountains. We now turned our course 
a trifle and struck for the head of the big sandy, then fol- 
lowed this stream till we reached Green river Then rode 
across to the Yampah river. 

While riding down the Yampah we were accosted by 
two men who wanted us to hire out to help them round up 
several hundred wild horses. We had never before rode 
on a horse ranch and we wished to be full fledged so we 
consented. We had a lively time. The Kid was lighter 
and more supple than I ; and got out of it some easier than 
I. I had picked out a rangey lank bronco; he would quit 
the earth and climb the sky like a flying machine ; and drop 
dovv^n and strike the rocks with his legs stiff as a post. He 
would then spin like a top several hundred times play razor 
back and sun-fish, His head and tail would touch one in- 
stant between his legs; and the next instant over his back. 
I held my breath while he exercised all his tricks then he 
plunged off while I pounded him with my broad brimmed 
sombrero. The foreman said Erve Bullard could not play 
glue much better than I. We had many daring and pleas- 
ing episodes this sesaon roping horses busting and brand- 
ing. 

We quit riding early that summer and spent some time 
traveling. I visited the grave of Calamity Jane. Wild 
Bills Wife; and His grave too. Went to the Little big- 
horn to Custers Tomb. Over to Nothfield Minn, where 
the Youngers were correlled. Down to Scouts Rest 
Ranch — Or Codys Ranch, over to Cheyenne to Old Tom 
Horns Rope Party. And saw Bob of Austrailia put it all over 
Jim Corbett. I went to Denver to hear Frank James talk, 
and several other things we enjoyed before Christmas. 

The following winter We raked up our old gang got 
together and went up to Snake River, here we began tramp 
trapping. Part of us advanced and the other party fol- 
lowed and took up our traps, this tramp trapping lasted 

17 



nearly all winter we trapped the Snake river, Green river 
San Juan river the little Colorado and the Big Colorado 
up to Grand Canon. Then we followed up the river to 
Cataract creek and in trying to cross lost two rattling good 
pack-horses pack and all. We then were short of rations 
and struck out for the Red mountain country: hoping to 
get more chuck. In this dash we nearly all lost our lives 
by starvation : after many days we reached the town of 
Aubay Arizonia. 

We then loaded our kit and took the Train for Los 
Angeles California and from there we went back to Denver 
Colorado, then up the Big Platte near the Lormic Moun- 
tains. We built a headquarters camp at The medicine bow 
and two offsets at Camp creek, near the Medicine Bow Res- 
ervation. Here we had the best systematized settings we had 
heretofore set. We had set a line of traps in a semicircle 
from camp to camp; And a stub line up each creek about 
four miles ; then we set a high-line running in oposite direc- 
tions. So you see we bagged everything that came through 
the country for several miles wide. Our traps served as 
does a wing-net catching on the sides and swinging every- 
thing into the center. An animal that smelled a trap would 
sheer off and nine times out of ten woiild go the way we 
wanted it, for we set our traps giving that peculiar specie 
the favorable road toward other traps which were set, and 
the scent so completely killed with compounds would usu- 
ally get the game. We generaly cleaned out almost every- 
thing as we went allong. Now the highlines were for land 
animals, such as Coyotes, Wolves, Lion, marten and skunk. 

The next autumn came and we were in fine spirits. We 
all came back to our old camps on the North Platte. 
The weather was lovely The cottonwood leaves were turn- 
ing brown and in the height of my glory I roped out my 
favorite horse saddled up and started for the Lormie Moun- 
tains. I was hungry for deer, and plenty of them roamed 
in that vacinity. As I was riding allong the foot hills my 

i8 



horse suddenly shyed off as if scared; i gathered up in the 
saddle and peeked over some sage brush and behold there 
was Old Ephraim in the form of a monster silver tip. The 
old elephant arose on his feet as big as Goliah and roared 
out his challenge to me. I drew aim hastily and fired a 
five hundred grain ball through his chest, this was just 
an eye-opener for his class. My horse at the crack of the 
gun leaped and fled down the hill in spite of all my protest ; 
you should have seen the horse put distance between us 
and the bear. I finally got the horse stopped I dismounted 
and hurried back to the scene. The bear had followed us 
quite a ways and was under a cottonwood licking his wound 
He did not see me till I fired so I had a good chance to pick 
my spot and I sent another ball one journey crashing 
through his shoulders ; this brought him to the ground help- 
less ; and I approached and finished up his hash. 

There are four distinct species of Grizzlies. And are 
more or less sprinkled throughout The rocky mountains in 
Mexico, U, S, and British Columbia. The Silver tipp. Bald 
face, The great Grizzly and the Kodiak Grizzly. The silver 
tipp scarcely ever has more than one cub and lives on roots 
and grass, when he cannot get meat. The great Grizzley 
loves colts and sheep, they cannot get a deer for the rea- 
son that they smell so fowl that a deer can smell them^ too 
far. The bald face is much like a great Grizzley only 
smaller and more alert. The Kodiak Grizzly, lives further 
north than any of the rest and is at least as big and twice 
as agressive as the other kind. They inhabit the wilder- 
ness from B. C. To Gnome Alaska. All of these bear are 
bold and genuine bluffers, they never snoop, they depend 
upon their size and name to carry them through, seldom 
do hunters kill them untill they have emptied tha last 
load. 

I then went back to my horse — or; to where I left him; 
but he had given me the French leave — I had tied him ; — 
as Cow-punchers say — "To the ground.'^ And he had taken 

IQ 



advantage of his liberty, and ran into camp ten miles away. 
I had on high heel boots ; and they walk bad — consider- 
able worse than they look, — so the road was a long one. 

After while we broke camp and went up the medicine 
bow river; to the North Platte; and here set our traps. 
Now we have what we call the low-lines — and the high- 
lines. The lowlines we set on low wet soil for water ani- 
mals. To give you an idea how much work is implied in 
setting such a mass of traps as we carried I will describe 
a bout how far apart we had learned to set traps. Where rat 
are thick one hundred might be set in a single mile. Where 
mink are thick not over sixteen should be set per mile. 
Where coon are thick about twenty per mile. Where beaver 
are thick about forty per mile and where otter are thick 
about ten traps per mile. The Muskrat — is the most in- 
teresting of all animals that live in water. The beaver 
Black, Blue, Brown, White, Gray not excepted. 

The Rat lives on flags and water mussels. He never 
kills small ducks as has been stated by some folks who 
never saw one. The Rat builds his house out of rushes 
from five to six feet broad sometimes much broader, and 
about three feet high. About a dozen rats live in a house. 
Their bed is from two six inches from the surface. They 
have feeding rooms in the house, and feed on the walls 
of the rooms, eventually eating the house up which is often 
the case in cold climates. They also have a bank hole in 
addition to the house hole. When frightened they go to 
the bank hole. They also have air holes covered very cun- 
ningly two or three inches deep on the way to the bank 
and water. These air-holes are overlaid loosely with flags 
and other light materials. 

In this we began to be very successful trappers. Lewis 
and Clarke were successful because first we spared no labor 
nor hardships; to set traps or find a favorable location; 
secondly because we bought the best guns and traps in the 
U. S. Thirdly because we put our money and time all back in 

20 



the business ; and fourthly because we had had the best 
kind of training in all kinds of common furs. I had been 
well educated for my profession. My teachers were such 
men as Frank Johnson who was the best bear trapper in 
the country. Charley Mackintosh the noted beaver trapper 
of the States. William S. Walker who no doubt was the 
best trapper in any country, he specialized on Bear, Lynx, 
Marten and Mountain Lion. Henry Grey was a special- 
ist on Marten he taught me the art of taking that shy 
game. And this Same Henry Grey was great a mixer of 
Compounds ; Joe Whitecup schooled me in Mink except 
his bait. Shopnegon taught me the crafts of Camping and 
sleeping without catching cold, how to travel without a 
compass by the stars ; and when it was dark and cloudy 
how to keep from circling around, he taught me how to 
skin all kinds of game, and how to make sinew for thred, 
and awls to sew with and explained roots for indigestion ; 
and leaves for constipation. Long Knife taught me how 
to trap skunks, and weasels, and above all he put me next 
to rat so I never need ask any other man the nature of 
that animal. Chief Broken Bow taught me to walk, shoot, 
and run, how to exercise and how to get allong with 
Indians. How to know when I was in danger, and above 
all how to keep cool which is the greatest lesson any man 
or indian ever learned, either in the woods, on the plains, 
over the sea; or in the busy cities. This lesson has saved 
my life scores of times. I have often wished that Chief 
Broken-Bow could have had some successor to continue 
this teaching, for all the world suffers and even those who 
have been to school and college come forth polished as a 
lizzard — but the first wave of unexpected excitement, or 
adverse passion completely distroys them. 

I have used the word compound ; And I know of no 
better place to explain myself than in this chapter. Com- 
pounds are scents of various kinds. Or more commonly 
known as Baits. It is used to kill the scent of your traps, 

21 



and to offset human scent. Baits are more profitably used 
to draw animals to traps than they are to kill the scent 
of the traps. Good Baits always serve the double pur- 
pose. While the trap without bait, arouses the animal's 
suspicion and makes it cautious, The trap with the bait 
arouses the animal's passion and draws it to the trap. Cer- 
tain odors causes the male to think that a female has fre- 
quented the place, and he gets careless and is caught. This 
is also true with females, and is true with all species. 

Animals like human beings like to appear well. They 
will instinctively follow certain trails, go certain places 
at certain times; and the trapper who learns what is ap- 
pealing to an animal is sure of success. The old trappers 
had to manufacture their own compounds. 

They got their meager supply from the wombs, testicles 
and musk-bags of animals, but they experienced great 
difficulty in mixing it to bait the several kinds of animals. 
For a trapper today to try to extract his bait from the 
animal would be sheer folly, only the unsuccessful ever 
resort to such a process. Let every man who catches fur 
bearing animals for a living learn among the earliest les- 
sons, that he must resort to some kind of bait; else he 
will fare slim. I have never known one identical specialist 
in any phase of trapping who did not use baits, and the 
fellow who comes to this imperative, soonest is safe. 

I have many friends who deal in baits. And I know that 
they would like to have me favor them by speaking about, 
and recommending their commodity ; but I am exhibit- 
ing for the education of the public, and not for the benefit 
of dealers ; hence I shall refrain from recommending any- 
thing that has the least degree of sham about it. I am 
writing this book to sell, and that on merits and informa- 
tion, so I feel it my duty to fill it with facts, and useful 
information, So regardless of personal friendships, with- 
out fear or favor I shall give the public the benefit. 

I have used many kinds of baits, and on many occasions, 

22 



but after years of testing, and a dozen of different mix- 
tures, I can recommend but one Animal Bait — and that 
is Manufactured by Funsten Bros, and Co, In their large 
Fur House at St. Louis Mo. It is also sold exclusively by 
them. Not as a money maker but to aid their many trap- 
pers to succeed; because their success depends upon the 
trapper. 

This compound is the best mixed because Funsten Bros 
& Co, secured every recipe from old and experienced trap- 
pers, paying a large price for each kind, so it was not man- 
ufactured by them as they are not trappers but dealers. 
To go well prepared is to be suppHed with excellent baits, 
and if you have Funsten Animal Baits you have the best. 

I have charged you to go well supplied, I should also 
add that in order to do this Traps should also be consid- 
ered. — I have suffered severe losses because I secured poor 
traps, Buy the New House Victor or Jump Traps, ad- 
vertised in Funsten Bros. & Co Catalogue No. lo or ii. 
As these men have the exclusive sale of them, it is enough 
to warrant their quality. Funsten Bros. & Co at St. Louis 
Mo. Have the largest Fur House in the world, and in 
order to be the largest they had to prove to be the best. 
In all my dealing with them I have been courteously treat- 
ed, honestly classified, and promptly paid. 

It is with pleasure I recommend this house which is an 
honor to Furriers in America. 

Well to return to my narrative, — this was the most ex- 
citable and profitable winter we had ever known, we sold 
our furs after we broke camp and took a very extensive 
vacation. 



23 



The Roving Trapper 

I came to a turning point in my career — I was to Travel 
and specialize: as a roving trapper. Only experts can 
catch a special kind of fur and make it profitable. 

I discharged all my old time laborers; and With The 
Coyote Kidd set out after Mink — There are three or four 
distinct species of mink but the Dark are by far the most 
valuable, these inhabit the colder regions, they are worth 
between six dolars and fifteen per skin, according to the 
shade and size. The mink is a keen observer, he lives 
on meat and eggs, being somewhat like a weasel, also lov- 
ing blood. The mink is used for collarettes, boas, and ladies 
coats. A boa made from black water mink is worth about 
50 dollars, a collarette about $100,00 and a coat reaching 
down to the hips would cost about $250,00. We took our 
way to the old rendavous near the sweet water mountains. 
While hunting one day I shot a Black tail deer. I was 
skining him for meat and was very hungry, I heard a 
limb crack, turned around; and behold a large grizzly was 
coming after my meat ; or myself. I thought best to push 
the deer forward to him, so I made a rather hasty re- 
treat: and old bruin stopped when he struck the deer. 
My gun was uncomfortablly near the dead dear, and the 
live bear, so I had to go home disarmed. 

This was a great grizzly, and he was great. I supposed 
he would tip the scales at about 1,200 lbs. although some 
have been caught that weighed 2,250, lbs. these great bears 
live in the rocky mountains from Wyoming to Mexico. 
Their favorite meat is colts, deer and sheep. Their nails 

24 



are often found seven inches long, their fur is best in Feb. 
and March, vahied at about 35, dollars apice. their pelts 
are used for rugs, robes and overcoats. 

We trapped from the Sweetwater to the Atlantic peaks, 
then westward across Horse creek, to the Colorado desert, 
then up to Salmon river. We followed salmon river 
through the seven devil mountains and left our horses 
at the XL, ranch and started for the Indian war. 

Now we were told by a trapper that there was a bad 
war on in Montana So we intended to go — for we loved 
an excuse to hunt the cunning game — Indians. But when 
we reached Mont, the war was in British Columbia. So 
we sailed up into the cold region and settled at Silver Creek 
Canada. We began about October the first setting our 
traps on spruce river. The Tahoo and Blackfeet Indians 
inhabit these parts, they are a very jealous class of Indians, 
owing to the great number of half-breeds, the half breed 
indian is the smartest, most troublesome of all Indians, they 
ordered us off their grounds but I had been ordered off 
hunting and trapping grounds so many times by Indians 
that I payed no 'more attention to their threats than I did 
to mosquito bites. So they got mad, bristled up, surround- 
ed our c#mps one night, — well we got away — that is more 
than some of them did. Moving down the river and over- 
land about one hundred and seventy miles we camped on 
the Blackwater river about fifty miles from the telegraph 
range, here I had my first experiences with Work Dogs, 
we ran out of grub about the tenth of March, and lived 
the rest of the winter on Big-horn and Moose. We next 
moved to Mt. Norris Idaho and after trapping there a few 
weeks we sold out and began to prepare for our long con- 
templated trip to the Amazon river South America. We 
sailed from Frisco in July For Brazil Via Cape horn. We 
landed seventeen days later in the good port Para, and 
from there reshipped for Obidos and from there fitted out 
for a new experience. It would be fooHsh to try to explain 

25 



the real customs and traits of animals after only having 
forty days experience for that covers our trapping and 
hunting in South America. I did learn considerable about 
that much discussed animal Monkey. I was taught by a 
native how to trap him, the simple remedy I'll give my 
reader without any extra cost, although I gave a mexican 
hat for that recipe. To catch a monky take a ripe cocoa- 
nut dig out the three eyes and the meat Fill up the un- 
broken shell with almost any kind of edibles ; then tie 
a cord through the two holes and tie the nut fast to a tree 
or a stake. The monk sees the nut puts his hand in the 
tight hole gets a handful of food shuts up his hand this 
forms a lump so big that it cannot be drawn back, the 
monk could at any time get away by simply letting go the 
food, but he never will, and hence is easily taken prisoner — 
how like man is the monky. 

I cut my stay short one day when I came nearly having 
to shoot the pass of a mammoth Boa constrictor — I con- 
cluded I was a fair trapper a common hunter, but no snake 
charmer — I enjoyed the fruits and foliage of that sum- 
mer land, but was glad to get back to Galveston, Texas. 



26 



Back Among the Rockies 

After we arrived from South America we planned on 
trapping one winter for Bob-cat Civit Cat and Mountain 
Lion. Providing no catastrophes happened bigger than a 
cat. We trapped the Arkansa, Big Sandy, Bayou creek and 
on to poverty flats. Then we crossed over to the Black Hills 
landing at Buffalo Gap. 

Here a Ranchman hired us to kill Black bear which were 
killing his colts. The Black bear of North America is 
the most harmless of all bears. His average weight is 
about four hundred pounds. He lives on honey, grass, ber- 
ries, weeds, roots, ants, and insects of all kinds. He is 
the hardest specie to hunt. When a hunter is on his trail 
he invariably is next to it, and will climb upon all the high 
roots, and logs and peep back on his track to discern the 
hunter. It is hard to get a shot at him unless the wind 
is blowing so you may circle him and shoot from the wind- 
ward side. He will stuff a bullet hole with moss to pre- 
vent the flow of blood and many other cute sagacious 
tricks. He dens up about the I5teenth of Dec. and comes 
out about the middle of March, as is usually supposed he 
comes out poor. But this is a bit of missinformation. On 
the other hand he usually crawls out after his long snooze 
fat as mud. 

Well as usual we had a lot of work, accompanied with 
our usual success, we were well paid for our hunt, and 
moved up to the Musselshell river In Montana. 

In Montana we caught fine beaver, The beaver is a 
very instinctive animal. There are several varieties, The 

27 



Dam Builder, The Bank Beaver, The Bachelor Beaver and 
the Drone Beaver. The beaver ranges in color from white 
to black. I never saw a white one, and but one black one 
except when I looked in the glass. The Beaver weighs 
from twenty to thirty pounds in the United States, and 
from forty to fifty in Alaska. His food is bark, young 
grass and such foods. They cut timber down and know 
where it will fall. I ascertained this because I have known 
them to leave trees alone which leaned the wrong direc- 
tion for them to use. I saw on the North Platte trees cut 
down by beaver which were four feet in diameter. They 
make chips resembling a chopper with a dull ax. He cuts 
his timber for winter and anchors it down four feet under 
water with mud useing his tail as a scow and also for a 
spade. 

Beaver dams are great hindrances to the man with a 
conoe, Beaver meadows are splendid feeding grounds for 
deer and other animals. I have seen beaver meadows — 
that is a place where the trees were all cut down and used — 
covering hundreds of acres. 

After breaking Camp we went to Cordelane Idaho, and 
from here to Frisco then over to Austrailia, We sailed 
out from the Golden gate on the 5th day of June and on 
the 20th day we reached Bellmont Aus. From here we 
went by rail up the Darling river. We spent about four- 
teen or fifteen days prospecting for a catch but found noth- 
ing inticing but hot winds and hot sunshine, so we cut 
our visit short and returned to 'Frisco the latter part of 
July- 

We next went to Idaho and raked up our old gang with 
new accessories and began trapping on the Clearwater 
and camped just below the Continental Divide. We trapped 
to the St. Joe Divide and as far south as Bald Mountains. 
The snow fall in this part is very heavy, we were making 
a Deadfall one day when Billy Thorn made a miss cue with 
his heavy sharp ax and severed his shin bone and nearly 

28 



looped off his leg. The ax struck about four inches below 
the knee, and nearly cut his leg completely off. We were 
thirteen miles from headquarters camp. We made a litter 
and carried him all the way. ■ He nearly bled to death on 
the way. There was no Dr. with in sixty miles. I thought 
it was up to me their old Chief to perform an operation. I 
washed the wound out as clean as posible, cutting away all 
shreads of flesh with my beaver knife, I hewed out some 
sweet birch splinters and tied the Hmb tight Vv^ith moose 
wood bark from his ankle to his thigh. In three months he 
was able to walk and after six months he was trapping as 
usual. While Thorn was layed up I had a double dose of 
work to do and grew a little careless, so mush so that some- 
thing happened which never happened before — I was claen- 
ing my gun and rooled it over on my knee. I had forgotten 
to remove the loads and off she went tearing a big hole in 
our camp. I had had a great deal of trouble in my life 
teaching my men to always be careful about accidents. 
This same thing had happened severl times to the other fel- 
lows but never to me before. Most all old trappers and 
hunters get into trouble of their own, sooner or later be- 
cause of carelessness. I never cover up a trap with my 
hand. I found a trapper starved to death, caught in his 
own bear trap by both hands ; because he was in the habit 
of covering up his traps by hand. I always school the lads 
to cover every trap with a stick. It is better because the 
animal can smell hand marks readily. 

After the accident of my gun explosion in camp I went 
out to look at A trap I had set for a wolverine. I came to 
the spot and found the chain broken and the trap gone, I 
began brushing away the snow supposing he had dodged 
into a hole near by, the trap was set at the root of a tree 
Suddenly I heard a growl and down from the limb leaped 
the darn skunk upon my left shoulder vvhile the trap struck 
me fair in the face, I did some tall scrambling shook him 
off and empied my revolver in his skin. My shoulder was 

29 



very sore for three months so we had two cripples at once. 
The next streak of ill luck, another of the gang got lazy 
and would not wash well in cold water and contracted cold 
and then Pneumonia — this layed him off for nearly three 
weeks. Our catch this winter was Wolverine, Lynx, Marten, 
Ermine, a few Beaver and Otter, but my Marten were of 
all more valuable. 

I was engaged the next summer in Colorado by a ranch- 
man to trap Mountain Lion. The Mountain Lion is a 
specie of the Eastern Panther they weigh from 80 to 150 
lbs. Their color in winter is a steel grey and in summer is 
a greyish brown. Their food is rabbit and grouse. Their 
haunts are the Rocky mountains. Their hides are used for 
rugs and robes and worth from 5-to 15 dollars. They also 
feed on calves and colts, are very hard on a Horse Ranch- 
Man. They often attack men, I have known three men to 
have been killed by Mountain Lions. The Mountain Lion is 
very shy he can be poisoned the best of any way of taking 
his life, to trap a Lion you must set all bait traps and 
deadfalls horse back and be sure your horse has no shoes 
nor horse nails in their hoofs, if they have the Lion will 
steer clear of the trap they are very clever in every way. 
One time I was delayed from Camp it grew dark and I had 
an awful time to pick my way home I soon discovered that 
I had more than the dark and difficult roads to battle, For I 
was being followed by a Lioness five whelps and an old 
Dog Lion. I was on my Favorite Horse Old Gotch. He 
feared Lions equally as great as I hated Squaws, They 
followed me for about three miles and when I reached an 
open space in the woods I halted near an old fir stub, I 
dismounted cautiously I could hear the old Dog growl and 
the whelps squeal like a flock of young pups. I found some 
dr)/ leaves and struck a fire breaking off the limbs of the old 
stub for fuel, After an hour these limbs were all burned up 
and I had to go about thirty feet to another stub for wood. 
I had to be pretty foxy for both lioness and Dog kept 

30 



uncomfortably close to me all the time I carried my six 
shooter in one hand, and wood on the other arm; just as I 
was returning with a load of wood the moon broke through 
a cloud and the old Dog was standing about forty five feet 
away in a bunch of weeds. I pulled my gun and took a 
chance shot and as luck would have it I broke his for 
shoulders and he could leap around but not direct his course. 
I never heard such a tearing racket ; he would leap ten feet 
high and fall on his head when he struck ground, by this I 
knew I had fixed his front limbs. At this the Lioness and 
whelps retreated and after an hour I mounted Gotch and 
rode up near the tired and crippled Dog and sent a ball 
through his heart. I returned to the fire and had a little 
sleep before day-break. I skined the old fellow next morn- 
ing he was a monster old, rugged, brawny & covered with 
(23) wounds, he had also been shot three times before. 

After we broke camp we went to Mexico and rode a 
Horse Ranch, following this for several months we worked 
our way northward taking carefuU notation of the changes 
in Saddles, Horses and riders. I have ridden many wild 
horses and used many kinds of saddles but the king of all 
saddles is the Meany. We could tie on to a steer that 
wieghed a ton and not be afriad of tearing this saddle to 
pieces. 

We loved wild horse riding but we got so beastly full of 
lice that we quit. We have caught lice several times from 
the tourists, and tenderfeet but could always get rid of them 
other places by the cowboy method — At night take off your 
shirt turn it inside out spread It over an ant-hill, and in the 
morning the ants have all you company preserved for the 
coming winter. 

The cowboys are a clean lot of brave loyal lads. They 
carry guns — but not as is supposed to use on one-another — . 
but to shoot wild horses which they are riding — suppose 
your foot gets fastened in a stirrup and your are thrown. 



31 



you will not go far till yon are dragged to death, this is 
where the Gun does its intended work. 

I have had to take my hat and strike the top of the water 
to drive the bugs down so I could drink without swallowing 
bugs, I used to cook and thought nothing of taking my 
water from a slough where several carcasses of cows wrere 
putrying. Sometimes I ran short of Soda then I would use 
the ashes of Buffalo chips for Soda. All this is as harmless 
to health ; as eating asparagrass grown in a manure pile. 

Well life grew monotnous, each succeeding year brought 
but old time haunts and the accostomed experiences. So as 
we sat at midnight in Portland Oregon in a grand ball room 
indulging in our only bad habit — smoking, simultaneously 
The Coyote Kidd and Myself proposed — to the gang let us 
go up to Alaska" To this we all shook hands. 



Z^ 



Off for New Fields of Adventure — Going to Faraway 
Alaska 

We went direct to the Little horn river Montanna and 
sold our Horses to the Crow Agency. Went to Deadwood 
S. Dak. picked up our Old Dog "Chum." and some other 
property went back to Billings Montana settled up our 
business and went to Seattle Wash. 

In Seattle we fitted out for a three year expedition. 

And on the 20th day of April at 2 P. M. we shipped out 
of the Harbor on the Old James Dollar — She was agood 
old ship built in South America made of meteec — . ; but had 
her back broken while being launched Was patched up and 
yet hardly fit for rough seas. 

. Our first four days were very pleasant till we struck 
Millbank sound There we were hit with a heavy sea on our 
starboard-beam. The old ship would leap almost out of the 
ocean and then fall back like a wounded duck, she would 
flounder, pitch, rool and dive come to the surface and wipe 
off the brine slick as a mole. I felt a little disturbed in the 
locality of my abdomen, also my appetite failed me for a 
few days ; I was standing one morning on deck by the hand 
rail just leaning over for convenience — near by stood an 
Irishman spewing in the sea, a sailor came allong and said 
to the Irishman" You seem to have a weak stomache." . "I 
don't know" Said the Irishman" I think I can throw it as 
far as the next one" Over that same rail engaged at the 
same pass-time was a young lady, leaning on the arm of her 
old Dad Between times she repeated" 

33 



I 'me a fathers only daughter, 
Casting bread upon the water, 
In a way I hadent oter, 

I guess yes. 
Casting it Hke rain. 
Into the troubled main, 
Hoping this sour bread 
will not return again" 

We landed in Skagway on the fifth day of May. Now 
there were no docks in Skagway at that time ; so we were 
unloaded by lighters and run up where the water was about 
three feet deep, there we had to get on a man's back and be 
carried ashore. We were charged two dollars for the 
lighters and two dollars for the man craft, so it cost each 
of us four dollars to land after we had landed. 

We arose early the following morning in another world. 
We knew the wild parts of the, States and the beasts and 
the men, the lay of the cities, the course of thousands of the 
important rivers The climate, snow fall, cyclones and all 
other important things to know when your life is an outdoor 
life; but here we were in a new untried world. One of my 
failures is when I see a mountain to wish to know how the 
land lays on the other side, naturally given to adventure I 
had indulged, and it grew very rapidly upon me, till it got 
beyond my controll, so I was delighted to discover new 
fields. 

After proper preparations we set out for White horse. 
After a few days we arrived at the Chilkoot Pass. The 
Chilkoot Pass, is a high pass about a mile high and steep as 
a house roof. And is also subject to very heavy snowslides. 
It was here where a short time before 148 soldiers in the 
British Army were all hurried forever without any Sky- 
Pilot or Undertaker's assistance. We crossed through 
Jacobs Ladder where were six-hundred steps cut into the 
solid ice. There were several Men known as packers who 

34 



lived at the foot of the ladder, they packed over loads for 
45cts per lb. they wore spurs on the bottom of their mocca- 
sins ; we were not tenderfeet, but used to the heaviest kinds 
of packing and you should have seen those sharks look with 
disdain on us when we made the pass carrying twice as 
many pounds up as they could. On this Trip I had The 
Coyote Kidd, The Galloping Swede, Taxas Tom. and Old 
Ed Scott. Four just as good men as I had had the pleasure 
of meeting during twelve years of rough life. And I was 
pretty sound then — my eyes were keen, my hearing alert my 
aim acurate, not like I am at this writing. 

On the top of this Pass I had my last opportunity of 
buying a piece of mince pie which I never neglect — but this 
piece cost me a Pan or one dollar. The other fellows took 
lemonade paying the same price per glass. I had hunted all 
kinds of game, com.mon or uncommon in the Western 
Hemisphere, had led the most daring and dangerous kind 
of a life, but little did I realize the tiresome dedious and 
indiscribable journey that now lay before me. 

As we crossed Chilkoot pass and descended through the 
long indentations leading northward and eastward amid 
snow ice and severe weather Old Texas Tom. The terror of 
the West, the old steel man as he was often called grew tired 
for the first time since our acquaintance. Together we rode 
the great roundup, together we had braved danger hard- 
ships scores of times, at every other event he was cool faith- 
ful and ever on the spot ; but now he sickened from fatigue 
to a terrorable back ache and head ache. That night he 
seemed to recover a little and the next morning shouldered 
his load and with less of his old time vigor and lightness 
began the day's journey. But about an hour later he had a 
relpase and we divided his load among us and he was able 
to travel till noon, then we camped as he grew worse and 
wrapped him in our blankest made him a good thick bed out 
of boughs, and fixed him up just as comfortable as possible. 
Four days later in the afternoon he called me up to his bed 

35 



and began to talk about sunny Texas about his dear old 
mother his sweet young sister and his boyhood days. I 
tried to encourage him I told him he would soon get well 
and that he had only a bad cold — but he smiled and said he 
was not long for this world. He said this feeling was 
strange and unearthly and he felt the approach of death. 
Then he rested an hour and then called me up to him and 
said" Old Chief give me a pull at your pipe — I did he lay 
back on my knee where he seemed to rest the easiest 
gasped twice and died. 

This was a hard blow on me and the other boys. The 
snow was deep and the ground frozen down a great depth, 
so we were forced to bury Our dear old Tom in the beautiful 
white purified crystal snow A purer and lovlier grave man 
never filled, we marked the place and summoned our 
courage and left the Old Texan who was reared amid the 
flecy cotton, sleeping his last long sleep amid the white 
flakes in far away Alaska. 

We were unfamiliar with this kind of sickness but after 
we were experienced we knew our our pard was afflicted 
with Spinal Fever. This is caused by the rubbing of a 
heavy load on the back, it causes perspiration then followed 
with fatigue the patient in weariness is constrained by this 
fatighue to lie down upon the ground, and a severe cold is 
contracted resulting in death. No traveler in that cold 
barren region should ever under any circumstances lie down 
upon the naked earth. Tom and we were all used to lying 
on the earth and thought nothing of of. ignorance and 
eagerness caused his death, as it has the untimely death of 
many a mother's boy. 

We took up our march sorrowfully and silently till we 
racked the Horalinqua River. Here he halted and searched 
for Gold. May I add that the craze for gold lead us into 
this region of ice and snow. We were unscuccessful but in 
our rambles we came to Pclley River and found Marten very 
thick, so we concluded to trap there the next winter. We 

36 



left our outfit here and began the journey down to Dawson, 
we had to shoot the far famed Whitehorse rapids, there are 
seven of them and they are about 3 miles long, and run like 
lightling, we boarded a raft were cut loose by a half breed 
Mucklock and away we went almost a mile a minute riding 
on the crest of the rapid rooling river. Here after the pass- 
ing of the rapids we first met Swift water bill, so named by 
the Sourdoughs because he would never shoot the rapids. 
His was a queer experience, he dug out his fortune amid 
the bars of the river and then went back to Seattle and 
married a daughter having three homely sisters, and his wife 
was twice as holely as them all. each year following for four 
years he returned to Seattle and married a sister every time, 
and at last having wed the last girl, he broke all rules of life 
and married his Motherinlaw. 

In this locality we made quite a stay mining and pros- 
pecting for hunting and trapping till the following spring, 
which hardly shows his face when autumn drives him off. 

It was necessary for us to larn a few lessons so here we 
began to study, first we were taught how to bridle a boat, 
this is done by tieing a rope around the nose of the boat 
about one third the way aft. then we learned how to make 
what they call portages — that is — when you come to falls or 
rapids, relieve the boat of all contents and carry contents and 
boat around the rapids. Then we were taught how to know 
quicksand and how dangerous the Overflow is to dogs, and 
men in extrems winter, an overflow is where the water 
bursts through the ice in the rivers and for a few feet runs 
on the top. it cannot run far for it soon freezes. If you put 
your foot in water or if your dogs step in water your feet 
and their feet would freeze in two minutes. 

The next winter we built a line of camps up the Pelley 
river about sixty miles, and another line up the McMillian. 
October loth we began to set traps for Marten, ermine and 
wolf. Here we learned that Marten were called Sable they 
are much larger and more valuable than the Marten of 

37 



United States Of America. In color they are dark brown 
and some are almost black, they feed upon grouse and mice 
and never go near the water, they inhabit the cold regions 
and breed but once a year. They resemble the house cat in 
features but have long body like a mink. We took that 
winter seven hundred, the largest catch ever known to have 
been taken by any one gang in the world. The weather was 
exceedingly cold for we were only three hundred miles from 
the Arctic Circle. Spring came we broke camp and moved 
down to Dawson, sold our fur and drifted down the Yukon 
river to the mouth of forty mile creek. Here we turned up 
in search of placer mining, the short summer soon past and 
we returned to Dawson and fitted out for the winter. 

After we chucked up we turned up toward Steward river, 
on this trip we met and formed the acquaintance of Geo. 
MacDonald, a wide world character. At one time he came 
to Dawson with twenty mules packed with gold. Three 
years later he died in Circle city a pauper. 

Here also we first met the noted Montana Kidd — he 
swung his team of a dozen dogs around the corner of the 
road house and shouted to the landlord" Thirteen steaks 
dam the cost the Kidd always has the price" It cost him 
thirteen times ten dollars — or one hundred and thirty dol- 
lars ; ten for himself and one hundred and twenty for his 
dogs. 

After another successful winter we returned to Dawson 
sold our furs and went first to Eagle and chucked up and 
journeyed to Fort Yukon. Now Fort Yukon stands in the 
Arctic Circle and the Steel registers during cold weather 
65° below zero. From here we went up the Porcupine river 
to Rampart Ho on the Eastern boundcry of Alaska We did 
not like the country in this part so we returned to Fort 
Yukon; and turned down the Yukon river to the Tanana 
river then we up this last named stream to Fairbanks. 

We reached Fairbanks in the early fall and trapped that 
winter on Beaver creek, having many experiencs but none 

38 



which I shall record here. — After we broke Camp we sold 
our fur in Fairbanks and started for the head of Copper 
river. We followed this stream down till we struck Amber- 
cunbo canyon. Not being acquainted with the river we were 
into the rapids before we knew it : I shouted to the boys to 
pull while I leaped for the steering oar, we got through all 
right but the boat was half full of water — and all the boys 
pretty badly scared, it was a close shave one adventure I do 
not care to repeat. We floated down to Katello ; and here 
took a boat for Cook's inlet. We reached Shushitna station 
And started up Shushitna river till we came to the mouth of 
the Talketaa : here in search of trapping we failed to find the 
object of our search — but found something far better a 
splendid Quartz mine, which averages $93.00 gold per ton 
of quartz. From here we went to Seldovia and then to 
Dutch Harbor and on to St. Michels. 

It might be well to say briefly that I had considerable 
exprience during my time with mining, and was no green 
horn, The Kidd was a natural miner, he would stick his 
pick, spade or knife into every bit of mother earth to ascer- 
tain if there was any color, we not only knew fur, beasts 
and birds, reptiles, fish, insects, but we knew the earth over 
which we walked, on which we slept and so contineud for 
sixteen years. We were full fledged Sour Doughs. We 
were citizens and Claim holders. 

I should also mention that I have but briefly outlined our 
travel, we had traveled much more than one would naturly 
suppose from reading these few pages, I ought to say too 
that We had become expert Dog-teamsters. And I need not 
say that not a man in Alaska nor an Indian could beat us on 
snow shoes. 

We incidently fell in with a half breed who was looking 
for a husband for a half sister I made- him believe I was 
looking for a Wife So he feel in toe. I according to his 
pleasure met his sister she was a cross between an Eskomo 
and a Mucklock, she was a charming biddy her eyes were 

39 



sore, she was terrorably deformed having a large bone 
resembhng a horn growing out of her right shoulder, she 
was about twenty four years old. and indians at that age are 
as old as white women are at fifty, if there is any beauty in 
Creoles, or Indians believe me it fades before they are thirty, 
and leaves you a homely hag. 

Well Her brother told me he had heard about me and If 
I would consent to wed his sister he would tell me the road 
to a fortune. I saw he was smart and disclosed considerable 
truth and displayed considerable inteligence of the interior. 
He said he would go to that place but owing to physical 
inability he could not. What could a trapper from the the 
flowery fields of the rockies, and broad basins of the Platte 
now of the Snow hidden mountains ice bound rivers of 
Alaska do but inmediately without consulting any parents — 
become engaged. 

We sat down I dismissed the boys and he related to me 
the following "For a thousand years my people have been 
kings in these parts. A Few indians have been through the 
interior of Alsaka from Mt Mckinley to Point Barrow. But 
no white man ever was. It is well nigh impossible but a 
giant like you and like your men could go if you prepare 
properly And have the money to chuck up for two years. 
Now the fortune lies in what you could tell and what you 
would know and see rather than in what you could bring 
back. But should you gain Point Barrow remember there 
is plenty of gold. — but it can only be mined during the 
summer while the frost is wore out of the ground by the sea. 
Now half way through this wilderness of ice, snow, and 
bursting glasciers is a cave not in a valley but on a mountain 
above timberline. This mountain lies about ten miles west- 
ward of you main course as you go down Dead mans gulch, 
you will know this gulch by its first horrorable appearance, 
it makes even an Indian shudder to look at it. After you 
emerge from the gulch take the first indentation leading 
westward and by all means go to black mountain and find 

40 



the cave. Now why I wish you to find the cave is I wish you 
to Hve. the Wether is extremely cold, you and your men 
will need a relief from this extreme incessant atmosphere, 
this cave is of black rock and is as warm underfoot as any 
soap stone you ever touched, and when once in the cave you 
feel warm as in an oven. Here you may recuperate patch 
up your clothes and make your journey safely." I thought 
this was hash so parting said I would return and tell him 
how I prospered. While time and weather would permit we 
went to Gnome and picked up Black Dave. And purchased 
severel good Huskeys. sailed back to St. Michals stocked 
up and set out on our trapping and hunting trip. But find- 
ing we had miss judged the lay of the land on the western 
slope of Alaska we again sailed back to Gnome and then 
crossed overland to Candle creek. We experienced some 
very hard travels in crossing the Seward Peninsula when we 
struck the south west side of the Kalzetpue Sound, from 
there we went west to Salawak river, then to the lake of that 
same name here we pitched camp and set our traps. Our 
game was Polar bear, Arctic Fox, Reindeer and Sable. 

Now I was used to all kind of bear except — the Polar 
which I am free and frank to confess is the worst man eater 
on earth, not one beast of any country excepted. The Polar 
averages to weigh about seven hundred pounds his build is 
different from any other bear, he is long and lanky having 
giant legs, his color is pure white. Ecxcept at times he is 
yellow around the neck, and shoulders. His food is Walrus 
and whale which have been killed and cast upon the ice by 
tremendous storms. They breed but once a year and seldom 
have more than one cub. he lives exclusively in the Arctic 
regions. His fur is used for rugs and robes and is worth 
about $150.00 per pelt. But it is so hard get these skins to 
civilization that they are rare, often other bear is colored and 
sold for real Polar. Between the Polar Bear and Siberian 
Wolves we had to watch our dogs all night to keep them 
from being killed, as well as ourselves. 

41 



This country was poepled with Eskomos a sort of a cross 
between them and Mucklock indians. they were very 
friendly to us. I could address them in their own language 
which pleased them and we prospered fine. On the first day 
of Feb. we started back to Gnome. 

And for the first time suffered total darkness by day and 
by night. We had enjoyed the midnight sun, and now must 
suffer the mid-day dark. The thermoneter lay about seventy 
below zero and the wind blew a ganger, On this trip back 
to Gnome I first learned what it was to neglect for hours to 
wait upon Nature, owing to the suffering of even exposing 
you bare hand for ten seconds. On this trip our old Chum, 
the playmate of Texas darling of Wyoming and the tramp 
of Deadwood So. Dak. got so cold he whined and refused to 
go. We took him and put him in our sleeping bag. I had 
taken him because he was fat and I kept him as a reserve 
food, rather than for actual work. We had a great jag on 
our sleighs we had to draw fish to feed our dogs, fish for 
fuel and lights, and with our traps, guns sleeping bags and 
truck we had great loads. 

We reached Gnome without any serious accidents or over 
severe suffering sold our furs and felt fine over our grand 
success. 



42 



Into the Unknown 

The following summer I fell in with a Miner by the Name 
of Jack Freeman, he was well known as a penetrator, He 
told us that up at point Barrow was all kind of shot gold, 
this aroused our curiosity again and I thought of my Squaw 
down at St Michals. Which I felt if I went to Point Barrow 
I vv^ould be obliged to wed. So we evaded the northern fever 
and planned to trap again somewhere near Candle Creek, 

We left Gnome in early autumn and went straight to our 
old camps, after our usual luck we started in a circuitous 
route for Gnome. We came to the Buckland River and 
started up intending to strike the mouth of the Koyukuk but 
missed our mark striking forty .miles above the mouth we 
bad hard times crossing the snow-capped mountains and 
climbing over Glaciers breaking trails for our dogs, fixing 
broken sleighs and mending worn out harnesses, tieing up' 
stranded Snow-shoes and facing death in many forms. Here 
for the first time in my life I realized I was indeed a very 
reckless man. Often the boys would get cold and sleepy 
and I would have to make them march at the point of old 
glory — my Gun — they would swear and blame every bit of 
hard luck to me. I held my nerve and had good controll 
over my men and after a waery march reached the Mouth of 
the Koyukuk and sold our furs at Rampart, Here Black 
Dave quit us saying he was going back to Arizonia. Three 
months later we took a boat and floated down to the mouth 
of the Yukon followed on to the Lake and after about 
fifteen days we reached Pay Creek, here we placer mined 
the whole summer, and agin fell in With Jack Freeman and 

43 



all planned a trip beyond the haunts of men. We beat down 
the river that early autumn traded our gold-dust for food, 
went back to the mouth of the Mullen River, then began 
our march up mullen river. Always before in my life I had 
been stepping in the footsteps of some predecessor ; but now 
I was to make tracks where man had never been. 

Before begining the Arctic Expedition I called all the men 
up and explained what it might mean — death hardships were 
all discussed but they willingly agreed to go, in fact urged 
the expedition, then I said if you loose your life your blood 
will be upon your own judgement and not upon my head. 
If we go we shall brave all-together the severe hardships, if 
we loose like many others, our funerels will be tearless, and 
inexpensive, If we win then each shall share a like in the 
spoils. We had an elegent supply of foods. 

Of Flour, Salt, sugar, rice, corn-starch, block-matches, 
candles. We had forty pounds of chewing tobacco, and 
eighty pounds of smoking, we had six bottles of Paroxidc 
— six bottles of Lemon-extract, Blue ointment, Castor oil, ten 
Irish potatoes, and other medicines in our chest, But I wish 
the reader to notice that on no trip did I ever allow one drop 
of liquor in any form to be packed in my load. The worst 
thing for any man who is fighting cold to do ; is to bowl up 
on red-eye. he is only the worse for it. I was bragging one 
day on this when a fellow said "1 have heard this but how 
do you get allong when your whole crew are dam drunkards 
except the Kidd. Well I said I cannot keep them from it in 
town ; but Black Beaver can keep it off the sleigh and when 
men are where it cannot be secured they do not drink. 

And further I argued that I never tasted intoxicants. 
That The Kidd Tom Bardine and Old Ed Scott were also 
tetotalers — so the only chance he had for argument was that 
Black Dave, And a few other lads from Alaska were the 
only drinkers I ever had. 

In addition to our rations we had a great deal of dried 



44 



fish for our dogs, we had severel candle fish for fights, and 
a large quantity of dried fish for fuel. 

Early in September We started out for Point Barrow 
through the interior overland where to my present knowl- 
edge man has never traveled. After we reached the head of 
Mullen river we started up the Arctic divide ; and on 
fifteenth day of October we gained the top of the divide. 
This was many miles north of the Arctic Circle. 

Now I had looked upon many charming scenes in my wild 
and wandering life; but while standing on the ridge of this 
great divide which seems to separate the green world and 
the land of sunshine and birds and flowers from the land of 
almost intolerable cold crisp snow, giant Iceburgs glaciers 
and snow-slides — I saw the fairest sight I had ever looked 
upon. Far westward the dying sun was painting the lofty 
snow-capped mountains. Northward the borrowed beams 
were shimering on the polar ice-bergs, in the Arctic Sea, 
Eastward were the last broken prongs of the defiant moun- 
tains known to the world as the rockies ; an^l southward in 
all its modest beauty lay the mammoth valley of earths 
greatest river the Yukon. I bid farwell to the known world 
and sang the old old song — "In far away Alaska, where the 
Yukon river flows" 

And then started down the great Arctic slope into the 
black bosom of the north. As we waved our hands in part- 
ing at southern civilization we hailed with a new delight the 
mystic and unruly regions of the north. The first day of our 
descent the weather lost controU of its furious temper, and 
how things did hum, Cyclones in Iowa and Colorado, Bliz- 
zards in Newbraska and the Dakotas, all which have raged 
for a thousand years melted into one could not furnish the 
momentum nor terror of this storm for a second. 

We camped under the shelter of a great glacier on on top 
of the south side and there let the weather howl, When the 
weather abated we took up the march in earnest with all our 
vigor and after several days we came to a branch of a river 

45 



— which we have since found out was called by the indians 
coa-ville river, you could tell that at certain seasons water 
ran down here, it was by no means a river in the sense of 
rivers such as they appear in other countries even in the 
dead of winter. We followed in this water trail about forty 
miles till we came to a pair of great glaciers which met in 
the center of the river then we were forced to go back and 
circle around them which took us two days. When we were 
again back on the bed of the river and had got along safely 
for about ten miles suddenly our back sled broke through the 
ice, and was caught by a mighty current and hurled under 
the ice — quicker than you could say Jack Rabbit. On this 
sled was most of our flour — this was ill luck we then named 
the Stream Lost flour river. Still we continued to go toward 
the north, the days grew short about three hours of daylight 
every twentyfour hours. So we had to use what is known as 
The "Arctic Bug^' A tin can with a candle stuck in one side 
and lighted. Night after night we were surrounded by 
Siberian Wolves they hungred for our flseh. It was so cold 
that We had to sleep in our Reindeer sleeping bags through 
the night — so occasionally we would have to unlace our bags 
and smoke up the wolves and then depend upon a little rest 
till they got too fresh again. 

Our dogs stood the trip well we fed them once a day 
gave them a single fish each evening after the days work was 
done, it is always best to feed in the evening the Husky or 
Malimouth is a very ferocious dog and if you do not keep 
them hungry they get lazy and will not mind but will defy 
you. many a dog-teamseer has accidently fallen down near 
his team while breaking trail and been eaten up. if you fall 
down they will jump on you like a lion. It is spectacular 
to see us feed them we remove the muzzle and harness take 
our gun in one hand unlock the fish box and and call the dogs 
by name one by one at the same time throwing a fish at the 
one we mention, they will catch their fish like old Cy Young 
would a league ball even if it goes much higher than you 

46 



intended they will climb the sky for fish. The Work dog is 
a great asset to the travelers in that region, a good team 
will travel over a broken trail seventy five miles a day. it is 
a very pretty sight to see a well trained team travel. These 
dogs can pull a load weighing from one hundred to two 
hundred pounds according to the road and hills. Examine 
our big team two of which we had with us on this famous 
journey. Each day brought its new dangers and difficulities, 
each night had its terrors the inevitable howl of the wolves, 
the sneaking glacier bears, the extreme cold, the brilliant 
glow of the Aurora Borealis Which hissed high over our 
heads and shot like lightling in varigated rays, in sound 
resembling a turkey gobbler unfolding his wings. I cannot 
go into all the details of this trip into the unknown it was up 
and down glaciers, following often in the path where just 
recently a great snowslide traveled, carrying hundreds of 
tons of snow and ice and breaking and crashing like a ruined 
world. The snow slide is the greatest of all dangers in this 
region, I have seen as many as five all at one time, some are 
known as annuals or old faithfulls, others are known as 
untimely, and treacherous, many an Alaskan lies hurried in 
valleys hundreds of feet below the surface in mountains of 
snow. I have always escaped the snow slide, I always test 
the snow as I go. If I get on a slope where Snowslides are 
frequent I prod deep into the snow to ascertain its actual 
depth, wdiere the snow is thick it is most apt to slide. The 
cry is keep close to the rocks and you are safe. After many 
days of severe sufifering and fighting cold we came to a 
perpendicular ridge of ice which we discovered was a long 
ridge, there seemed to be no way around so we prepared to 
let over each other. It was about one hundred feet down to 
the ice. I was the first to test the ropes, then one by one the 
dogs, sleighs, guns and all was over except the last man. 
we had provided for him, the rope was fastened under a 
huge piece of ice; and after he slid down we all pulled on 
the rope it brought cake and all over. 

47 



We weere traveling the next day clown the river when one 
of the boys saw a sleigh setting up a gainst a hill of ice, I 
went over to examine it and found it to be an Eskimo's 
Igloo. I got down on my knees and crawled into the hole on 
the south side. Inside were nine Eskimos, they quickly 
grabbed their lances, but I spoke to them in their language 
and they seemed pleased and soon layed down their spears 
and made me welcome. I backed out of the door and told 
the boys what I had found, we all went into the house and in 
less than ten minutes at least one hundred Eskimos were 
around the hut. Manny of them had never seen a white man 
and we were to them a wonder they would walk around us 
and look at us like a batch of monkeys. I gave the Chief's 
wife a small hand glass and they all looked into it and be- 
hind it like so many animals. I presented the chief with a 
watch and he gave me a Silver Fox in return. The Eskimos 
are great Pot-latchers That means givers to each other, they 
are very free hearted They seldom own anything very long 
at one time it is given from one to another constantly. We 
were planning to go on toward the Mouth of Gold river but 
the Chief told me his daughter was to be married in two 
moons : we stayed to attend the wedding. So I had a 
privelege to ascertain how the Eskimos make love and are 
married. If a girl is in love with an Eskimo she sends for 
him and combs his hair with her fingers. If he loves her he 
returns again if not he does not. they are engaged exclu- 
sively by the parents, then afterward arc informed they are 
to be married. Thcy are usually married in the moonlight 
the parents of the bride and groom pronounce the cerimony. 
The bride and groom stand in the center, over a lamp, 
around them are their parents, around the parents are the 
next near^t relatives, them around them again are the 
friends. All form a circle and the inner circle march to the 
right the next circle march to the left — thus alternating As 
many times as there are circles, at this wedding there were 
about ten big circles and they looked funny enough under 

48 



those bright stars and the great moon painting the ice and 
snow as far as the eye could reach, all dressed in fur going 
in opposite directions. They were given an ice house and 
the bottom was covered a foot thick with fine furs. I 
explained to the chief whose name was Snatch-bow, about 
the warm weather in the south, he watched me in wonder 
and then stood up and said "Injun have no house he all melt. 
I no go there" Of course he said this in Eskimo. In his 
house was a few pieces of furniture. In the center was the 
knuckle bone of a macedon with a nice dish shaped top this 
was filled with oil, a string was laid in this ; and one end 
lighted this was their only light. This lamp served also as a 
nurseing bottle for the babies. They had two round pieces 
of driftwood they used for chairs. In another hut I found 
they used hollow bones filled with oil for lamps with a cover 
over them and a wick made of a sea-weed. The squaws 
would lift the cover and take a sip out of the lamp and then 
go on with their work. Oil is their favorite drink. The 
Eskimos are very hardy so far as enduring cold is con- 
cerned — I saw an Eskimo bobbing — that is how they fish — 
hold a fish on a string just under water and as the big fish 
comes after it they spear it with a spear they hold in their 
other hand — This man was bobbing and his squaw was sit- 
ting on the shore watching him. on her bosom lay a babe 
about three months old, it was rapped around with a piece of 
fur its face was partly bare, it was snowing fine snow 
resembling frost, it was about 65° below zero, as I passed 
I saw they snow in the babies face and wondered it was 
not dead just think of a babe under such an temperature 
sleeping with the snow falling in its tender face. It seems 
utterly impossible but it is true. But when you look for 
strength long life endurance or inteligence in the Eskimo 
you seek in vain. They all have sore matterated eyes, one 
fifth of them are deformed, one in ten has the consumption, 
and the average life of the Eskimo is about 30 years. They 



49 



average to weigh about 90 pounds and stand about four feet 
and six inches high. 

They are perfectly friendly even if they never saw a 
white man. They wrap up the dead in skins and hang them 
up, they freeze still and so remin till eaten by some wild 
beast. The Eskimos are beyond doubt the happiest people 
on earth, they never lie, steal, cheat, murder nor mix in 
family intercourse so common among all other indians. 
They have absolutely no religion, no expectation of ever 
coming to life when once dead. They are very ignorant and 
dirty their huts are black with smoke, their faces are oiled 
and covered with black from the oil smoke. Their huts 
never get warmer than the freezing point, they undress 
when they sleep, and use fish to cook their food, when they 
cannot get driftwood. 

A great deal of driftwood floats in around the river mouth 
which is carried to the Arctic Ocean by the Great Mackinzie 
river and is distribuated all allong the shore and picked up 
in the summer and used in the winter. This wood provi- 
dentialy sent is certainly a blessing to the Eskimos of this 
region. 

As I passed from hut to hut trading, I chanced to run 
across some indians from Candle Creek where I first learned 
to talk Eskimo. They were very glad to see me and used 
me fine making it very pleasant for us. One night while 
traveling from one town to another — for it was nearly all 
night at that time — two of my men were robbed — that was a 
piece of wonderment in these parts and in the life of the 
oldest Indian it had never happened. As soon as the boys 
reported I took the Kidd and we set out to stop the thief — we 
went less than five miles when we overtook a rather unusual 
large Indian which I at once reconized as The worst 
Desperado in Alaska — he had killed several white men and 
about fifty of his own tribe, I first met him at Candle Creek, 
I pulled my gun and ordered him to put up his dukes — he 
did and I said John Spoon I know you and I guess you know 

50 



me, unload that gold and those furs you took from my men 
or, I'll let daylight through you — He did a great stunt of 
obeying he was scared half to death, I had a notion to kill 
the other half. I was a fool to let him off so easy — But I 
always hate to shoot even an Indian. Well we worked down 
to the Sea, and a few hours each day dug at placer mining, 
after forty eight days we took our gold about $4,455,00 and 
set out for the mouth of the Mackinzie river. This was a 
terrorable trip The sea had piled up ice-burgs so we had to 
travel allong the mountain side — Our hardships had been 
extreme and as we neared the Delta of the great River one 
day I noticed The Galloping Swede was loosing his mind, or 
getting crazy with hardships, which is the most incurable of 
all diseases, He had been snow blind, had had sore eyes, was 
homesick and lonesome, and the added over exposeures had 
ruined that bright and cultured mind. Lee Wilda — for this 
is his name had been with me a long time, his home was in 
Minnesota, his father was dead but he had a mother and a 
sister. Twice on our way we had to let our dogs and plunder 
over ice precipreses, with our lash ropes. Finaly we reached 
Coleville river and crossed over, it was about a half mile 
wide at the mouth. Just after crossing over this stream we 
saw 148 Polar bears on one cake of ice feeding on a dead 
whale. Allong this trip so near the sea we saw hundreds of 
seals, and walrus and killed a Muskox the most rare animal 
in the world. After over forty days we reached the mouth 
of the Mackinzie river, it is about eight miles across the 
mouth, and drains The great baer lake, the great slave lake, 
the lesser slave lake, The peace river the Athabaska river 
and hundreds of tributaries in to the Sea. It was nearing 
spring, we had no calendar, and did not even know the 
month of the year. We were glad : our sleighs were getting 
worn out, so were our snow shoes, and our provission was 
nearly gone and Lee was a raving maniac. We still had the 
main range of the Rocky mountains to cross. We came to 
a small station about one hundred miles up the Teal river: 

51 



but the frenchman refused us anything to eat. He was buy- 
ing fur for a fur Co. and wanted to kill off all indipendent 
traders. Without his consent I took what grub I wanted, he 
did not like it much permit me to say — but he choose this in 
preference to cold lead, I left him his full pay and begn our 
weary march to head of the Porcupine river, just before we 
reached the porcupine We met an Indian prospector and 
gave him ten dollars for a pan of flour, and so got on to 
Fort Yukon. 

Our feet were sore, so were our eyes, we were tired and 
worn out. We rested a few days and agin hit the road, we 
follwed down the Yukon to the Tannana and up this river 
a long ways and then struck across The mountains to the 
Kuskakwim river. And as we were going down marten 
creek One of my dogs bit me: he tore off the hole end of 
my finger. It was a bad bite the weather was very cold, and 
I could not give it proper care. Four days later blood poison 
set in, my hand began to swell and pain me, worst of all we 
were loaded with Polar bear seal and white fox. My hand 
grew worse and worse I could not travel any longer so we 
had to throw away all our Polar bear and the dogs had to 
draw me. It was so cold that I had to walk at times, this 
lasted for eleven days. And for eleven nights, I walked 
around while the other boys slept. After this time we struck 
Shushitna Station then we made Knik. from here we started 
for Seldovia but were foundered for two days near Fire 
Islands, when Maud the Moose picked us up and took us to 
Seldovia. Here a Government nurse operated on my finger 
and by her skill and my nerve she saved my life. After four 
weeks I shipped on the Portland for Seattle leaving my men 
to go back to the claims and stay till I could return. With 
the exception of Lee Wilda he we sent to Seward to a doctor. 
During the most excruciating pain I sold my Mine known 
as the Roving Trapper and completed my Journey to the 
States, carrying with me a Dr. and A Trained Nurse. 

After a long and dedious journey we reached Seattle and 

52 



there I was confined to a room in the Hospital for four 
weeks — after which I took the overland limited for Mich- 
igan. One the fourth day of June I landed in the old town 
of my Childhood — Fife Lake. 

I learned that my Father and mother still lived but had 
long since sold the farm and kept a small store in town. 
Once I could have named every individual I met — but now 
as I walked up the hill from the depot I was an entire 
stranger — Twenty years makes a great change, Many were 
my meditations as I walked over the little marsh where I 
had so often passed when a mere child. I entered the old 
store, the one in which I spent my babyhood — where Father 
ran store before he bought the farm An old lady stooped, 
and seamed came in to ascertain that which I wanted, had I 
have been any other place I could not have gussed who she 
was, I told her I wanted a quarters worth of Cigars, I sat 
down upon the old chest which I still remembered, and 
began to smoke, memory was busy — Could this be my 
mother, I saw her last twenty years before, her locks were 
black as a raven's wing, her eyes like stars in mid-winter, 
her form straight agile and graceful — A horrorable thought 
seized me — I threw away the cigar and walked over to 
mother and told her I was her baby — I took her in my arms 
— It was a severe shock to mother, she had long mourned me 
dead, together we wept, she for joy, but I for the greatest 
mistake of my lifetime those twenty long years of prodi- 
gality. No man ever repented more bitterly over his rash 
and careless actions than I did that fourth day of June. 

Presently my Father came in — he too was old and gray — 
that step which had ever been so nimble and elastic was now 
abated, he did not recognize me — till he saw mother had 
been crying then his suspiction was was aroused and t broke 
down — father took me one his lap ; kissed me and welcomed 
me home. — Boys I have made a great mistake, — I can never 
recover the loss connected with this carelessness by all means 
never patron my example. 

53 



When the town folks found out who I was and that I was 
back from far-av/ay Alaska they began to come in to see me 
— they had a right too They had watched over my dear old 
mother and father when they were sick as only the best 
friends on earth know how, how much I owe those dear old 
neighbours at Fife Lake. They filled the house and store 
and we had a great time for several days. I had to leave 
the old folks again without their consent, but not without 
their knowledge, successsively I visited my relation not one 
of them ever guessing who I was till I informed them. 

While visiting among the haunts of civilization I con- 
ceived the idea that a splendid outfit of furs, dogs, and other 
educative curios would be of interest to the folks of the 
States, so to morrow I set sail for Alaska to secure such an 
outfit which I hope you may satis factorly inspect before 
reading my book. 

Yours truly — Black Beaver. 

Webster So. Dak. April 17, teenth 191 1. 



54 



Bits of Information — Characteristics of Black Beaver 

Black beaver was never lost but once in his life And that 
was in Cordalane Idaho. It had a peculiar effect upon him, 
it made him, sick to his stomach, sleepy and gave him the 
head ache. He never carried a compass in his life, can 
awaken at any hour of the night and point north south 
east or west. 

Black beaver gives a recipe for cureing gray hair, this 
alone is worth the price of this book — ''When I went up to 
Alaska I was quite gray headed I was crossing Jumbo 
Glacier, going North-west, they wind was cold and exceed- 
ingly stout my steel registered over seventy below zero — I 
was making good time — I became warm and perspired a 
little — for about ten seconds I removed my cap when I 
discovered my scalp was frozen, for nearly a year my hair 
was all out around my ears — at last it came in just as black 
as it was when I was a child — (Se my head seeing is believ- 
ing) Ladies, gentemen freeze your scalp if you are gray" 

Black Beaver is a natural tarveler in cold regions because ; 
he is always feeling of himself to see if he is freezing, which 
is the only way one can tell in extreme cold. 

An excciting place to sleep — on a Glacier which moves 
about ten feet a day — it is cracking, bursting exploding, 
trembling, groaning and together with the Glacier .Bears 
and howling dogs, and Siberian wolves,. and rolling around 
to keep from freezing is very soothing. Now I have fought 
buffalo flies in Michigan, Bed Bugs in Wisconsin, Lice in 
Wyoming, Rattlesnakes in Colorado, Coyotes in North 
Dakota, Rats in Australia, Spiders in South America,— But 

55 



Glaciers are of all places I ever attempted the most exciting 
and difficult to get a little sleep. 

The Glacier is moved forward by the compressed air 
which gets into the crevices behind the glaciers when it is 
split open by frost — then it freezes again and explodes which 
moves the great mountain into the river. The Glaciers not 
only furnish the water supply for the world — but also keep 
it fresh. 

The term Mushing has been used in the book that means 
to walk. 

The term Pan, means one dollar, Bum Pan means a half 
dollar. Hit means five dollars. 

A great manny hunters have severe accidents with their 
guns — often they burst when they are fired off — this is 
caused by dirt accidently getting into the end of the barrel 
which so many inexperienced hunters unconscouusly do. I 
have known an explosion caused by snow in the end of the 
muzzle. 

There was a very bad bear in Wyoming known as *'01d 
Three points" There was an Irishman crossing over his 
■territory and while sitting on a rock he looked up and saw 
''Old Three Points" coming toward him evidently on his 
track — for he was putting his noose to the ground seemingly 
in every track — "The Irishman said". Oh ! its tracks ye want 
— then be gorry I'll make ye some" and he did. as many have 
done. 

I was employed by a Ranchman to kill Three Points — so 
named because he had a nail torn oft" and left but three points 
to his track with his right paw. I took two of the best 
marksman I had and we rode over into his territory — after 
we had cooked our maet partly because we were hungry, and 
partly to draw the old fellow on by the scent — and before we 
had time to eat our meal the old plough hove in sight — 

He was certainly in fighting trim, he came down over the 
hill — like a Newbraska cyclone — every log he came to he 
would knock clean out of his road the stones were flying 

56 



right and left, he would knock rotton logs all to pieces, he 
would not turn aside for anything, he had been in a fight 
his hair was ruffled up, he was all covered with blood, and 
had been wounded several times, all at once we opened up 
on his with three bullets in his pelt driven there by guns 
which struck thirty eight hundred pound apiece — he just 
groaned and staggered a little, and made for us. We split 
up and gave him dope from three quarters which was more 
than old Three points had expected; and before he could 
claw any of our meat he lost his appetite because we had fed 
him too much lead. 

Black Beaver — knows how to live outdoors better than we 
know how to live indoors. He never catches cold, he posi- 
tively knows every time just where to sleep, he never sleeps 
on his back if the ground is cold or damp — always upon his 
stomache. 

He could teach the U. S. Army something worth knowing 
— about living out doors. 

Black Beaver knows what animals think. Can tell just 
what maneuver a dog, wolf deer, or even a fish will go 
through on almost every occasion. 

The Eskimos at Point Barrow — think the Aurora Borealis 
is caused by the Great Icebergs toppling over into the water, 
and the water is so much warmer than the great lump of ice 
covered with frost that an explosion takes place — caused by 
the coming togetlier of these two substances so different in 
temperature. Then the ice splits and the explosion causes 
light ans makes a noise which is always heard in the Arctics. 

The Eskimo scoffs at the idea of man reaching the North 
Pole. They say the place where the pole is supposed to be, 
is an unfinished part of creation, and how can man find that 
which has not been created. They say the north Pole is one 
continous upheavel of indisscribable explosions. That not 
a bear, owl, tomigan, fox, Indian or even a whale or fish 
could live, nor do they live beyond the hut of the Eskimo. 



S7 



Could you if you could not write, write a better book? I 
have no vain idle catchy words, but news in a nude form do 
you appreciate news, gold dug out of mud? then give me 
credit for what I have done rather than for what I have 
said. Read my later publications. So excuse the errors of 
a sourdough, keep track of me I want to talk to you later. 
Good bye for this time. I shall enjoy being a true friend to 
every reader of Black Beaver the Trapper. 

Ask me questions, if you have my address, write to me 
while I am in the wilderness. I once stopped and listened 
for an hour to the disputed music of a Baby's cry. — then if 
this consoled — perhaps you can, I start tomorrow for the 
Golden shore Of Alaska, over rough seas, swollen rivers, 
rocky coasts and shaggy hillsides. But I shall return again 
— From that wilderness, to enjoy and make glad the gentle 
loving people in the States where the stars and stripes 
defend, And where maidens and lovers, husbands and wives, 
enjoy sweet life and charities beyond the possibility of any 
race in any other land under God's girdling skies. 

The End. 

Black Beaver's Address Permanently, is Fife Lake, Grand 
Traverse Co., Mich. 



58 




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